Films / Documentaries / Shorts featuring the humble Bicycle

Bicycle the film asks the question ‘why is cycling and the bicycle back in fashion?’ The film, which is directed by BAFTA winning director and keen cyclist Michael B. Clifford, tells the story of cycling in the land that invented the modern bicycle, its birth, decline and re-birth from Victorian origins to today. The film weaves bicycle design, sport and transport through the retelling of some iconic stories and features interviews with notable contributors Sir Dave Brailsford, Gary Fisher, Chris Boardman, Ned Boulting, Sir Chris Hoy, Tracy Moseley, Mike Burrows and many more, plus great archive, animation and music. ‘Bicycle’ is a humorous, lyrical and warm reflection on the bicycle and cycling within its place in the British national psyche.

The documentary is made by the same people who did the untold story of Mountain Biking which we screened in January so it gets a big thumbs up.

Date: Monday 16 October at 7pm

Venue: The Reliance, 76-78 North Street, Leeds, LS2 7PN

Cost: £4 in advance (tickets can be bought via the Eventbrite link opposite and ticket price includes Eventbrite fee)

As the Tour de France kicks into gear our July film is the fabulous documentary Clean Spirit which provides an insider look at the Argos Shimano (now Sunweb) team at the 2013 tour which launched Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb into the public’s consciousness. The film offers an insider look at what it’s like to be on a professional cycling team at the Tour right now following the highs and lows of the team throughout the three week race but, like A Sunday in Hell, you see much more than the race. Much of being a professional cyclist involves hotel rooms, team meetings, meals and massage and Clean Spirit really gives you a feel of this life and the internal machinations of a pro cycling team.

The film however is much more that simply a behind the scenes look at a team. As anyone with a passing interest in cycling will know it has had massive issues with doping. The Argos-Shimano team was launched as a pro cycling team that strives to compete the right way – clean – and the film crew does not shy away in discussing doping with all members of the team and it provides a fascinating inside and raises all sorts of questions around what it means to be clean. For example caffeine pills and supplements are legal and the doctor hands these out, although some riders refuse to take them. There are awkward exchanges but it’s good to see the questions asked and the inner workings of a team shown and you as the viewer are left to make up your own mind. One thing for certain is that you will have a new found respect for Kittel and Degenkolb.

The camaraderie amongst the team is brilliant to see, you share in the success and failure and one of the narratives within the documentary is how the team rally around Tom Veelers who crashes after tangling with Mark Cavendish (very prescient after just watching yesterdays stage and crash between Cavendish and Sagan). It’s inspiring viewing and you cannot help but admire the dedication, commitment and sacrifice shown by the riders. Clean Spirit is a great piece of documentary film making and let’s hope that it will last the test of time and that’s it a true reflection of clean racing and a cleaned up sport. Only time will tell.

Date: Monday 17 July at 7pm

Venue: The Reliance, 76-78 North Street, Leeds, LS2 7PN

Cost: £7 in advance (tickets can be bought via the Eventbrite link opposite and ticket price includes Eventbrite fee)

Sylvain Chomet’s incredible animated feature film is one of the most original films you could hope to see in long time. Beautifully hand drawn animation brings a touching and hilarious story to life with nods to Jacques Tati and 101 Dalmations along the way. A film as heartwarming as it is surreal and strange, The Triplets of Beleville follows elderly Frenchwoman Madame Souza as she becomes involved in international intrigue when her grandson, Champion, a professional cyclist, is kidnapped and taken abroad. Joined by her faithful dog, Bruno, Souza embarks on a journey to find Champion, and stumbles across unlikely allies in the form of three sisters (The Triplets of Belleville) who are veterans of the vaudeville stage. Tracking down Champion’s criminal captors, the quartet of old women use their wits to try and win the day.

This Oscar, BAFTA and Cannes nominated film will beguile you from the first scene.

Date: Monday 22 May at 7pm

Venue: The Reliance, 76-78 North Street, Leeds, LS2 7PN

Cost: £5 in advance (tickets can be bought via the Eventbrite link opposite and ticket price includes Eventbrite fee)

Back in October I put on an evening of cycling short films, 12 films none of which was longer than 6 mins or so. I loved putting it all together and think it went down well and I’ve been keen to do something similar. As I was researching the films for the first evening there were lots that didn’t fit in primarily due to length so I’ve been looking to put on another evening with a small selection of slightly longer films 10-20 mins each and that’s what this evening will be. Loosely based around two concepts of build and explore I’ll be showing 2 – 3 films around each concept.

While touching on the idea of explore, it was very sad to hear of the recent death of Mike Hall who was sadly killed while racing in the Indian Pacific Wheel Race in Australia. All the proceeds from this evenings film screening will be donated to the just giving page set up to support Mike’s family.

Date: Monday 24 April at 7pm

Venue: The Reliance, 76-78 North Street, Leeds, LS2 7PN

Cost: £5 in advance (tickets can be bought via the Eventbrite link opposite and ticket price includes Eventbrite fee)

HALF THE ROAD is a documentary film that explores the world of women’s professional cycling, focusing on both the love of sport and the pressing issues of inequality that modern-day female riders face in a male dominated sport. With footage from some of the world’s best UCI races to interviews with Olympians, World Champions, rookies, coaches, managers, officials, doctors and family members, HALF THE ROAD offers a unique insight to the drive, dedication, and passion it takes for a female cyclist to thrive. Both on and off the bike, the voices and advocates of women’s pro cycling take the audience on a journey of enlightenment, depth, strength, love, humour and best of all, change & growth.

In addition to the international race footage and athlete interviews, the film also follows director/athlete Kathryn Bertine’s quest to make the 2012 Olympics during her first year racing professionally for Team Colavita. Bertine, a three-time national champion of St. Kitts and Nevis, explores the issues faced when smaller nations try to make strides in a sport that has no history of tradition or support within their culture. The title HALF THE ROAD comes from a segment of the film where the president of a small cycling federation quotes the old adage, “Women hold up half the sky” in reference to equality. The documentary explores the idea that, If women hold up half the sky, then the women’s peloton deserves ‘half the road’ of opportunity, growth, support & equality within professional cycling.

Kathryn: “we thought we were making a movie about women’s professional cycling. Then it turned into a film about equality, told through the medium of kick ass female athletes”

Date: Monday 20 March at 7pm

Venue: The Reliance, 76-78 North Street, Leeds, LS2 7PN

Cost: £6 in advance (tickets can be bought via the Eventbrite link opposite and ticket price includes Eventbrite fee)

It is easy to forget with the string of gold medals at the Olypmpics and the dominance of Team Sky on the road that British cycling in the recent past was not awash with medals, money and household names. The starting point to the current success had much to do with the rivalry between Graeme Obree and Chris Boardman. It’s Chris Boardman who people now know well with his eponymous named bike brand and his gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics. But there was another world record British cyclist at that time who’s remarkable story should never be forgotten.

The Flying Scotsman tells the true story of one of Britains great mavericks, the pioneering cyclist Graeme Obree. A man who defied the odds, the establishment and his own mental health problems to become a world champion and world record holder on his ‘Old Faithful’ a bicycle he built including parts from an old washing machine.

Jonny Lee Miller plays Obree in the film and spent a lot of time with him to pick up his mannersism which resulted in a BAFTA nomination and Obree himself appears in some of the cycling sequences.

You know there’s something deeply wrong from the opening moments as Obree is pictured traipsing through the woods holding his bike and a length of rope. How he got there looking to commit suicide is the story of the film, a true classic tale of the heroic little guy that goes beyond the sport of cycling, told with elegant restraint in this sensitive and beautifully rendered film directed by Douglas Mackinnon. Obree, a Scottish messenger boy and amateur cyclist defied the odds by twice holding the world hour record, one of cycling’s most revered achievements.

Obree battled depression before and after his triumphs (which included other titles including the world championships). But that was hardly the worst of his problems. The greater evil in his life was perhaps the sport itself — or rather, those who made up its rules. Official cyclingdom looked askance at the achievements of the onetime bike courier with few corporate sponsors and the UCI seemed to go out of it’s way to make Obree life difficult and to sully his achievements. There is a real painful cyclical irony to the story in that while turning to the bike helped save Obree it also pushed him into the depths of despair.

So come along and share in the story of this remarkable man, bring your tissues and a sense of righteous indignation !

Date: Monday 20 February at 7pm

Venue: The Reliance, 76-78 North Street, Leeds, LS2 7PN

Cost: £5.50 in advance (tickets can be bought via the Eventbrite link opposite and ticket price includes Eventbrite fee)

Thought it might be useful to put up all the dates that I’m planning to show screenings across 2017. All films get announced on here, via twitter @LeedsBicycleFC, on Eventbrite, on Leeds Inspired and you can sign up to the mailing list through the website and you will get an email.

All screenings take place at The Reliance in Leeds and are scheduled for the following dates:

January 23 – The Untold Story of British Mountain Biking
Feb 20 – The Flying Scotsman
March 20 – Half The Road
April 24 – Long(er) Cycling Shorts
May 22 – The Triplets Belleville
June 19 – No screening
July 17 – Clean Spirit
No date in August
Sep 18 – no screening unfortunately
Oct 16 – Bicycle The Film
Nov 20 – Quicksilver

Get the dates in your diary and I look forward to saying hi, having a beer and bringing more good cycling films and documentaries for us to enjoy.